Psychology: Personality Psychology Overview

Course Introduction

• Course name: PSYC 1520.2A
• Course content: Personality Theory, Normal and Abnormal
• Focus: Studying human personality

Textbook

• Textbook title: Theories of Personality
• Authors: Schultz, Schultz, Maranges
• Edition: Twelfth

Discussion Points

• Do animals have personality?
• Should animals have the same rights as people?
• Are there similarities between people and animals?

Normal vs. Abnormal

• Concept of the bell curve (normal curve)
• Normal: Statistically normal, not sick, healthy (within normal limits)
• Abnormal: DMS-IV, Personality Disorders, Forensic (Criminal, Perverted, Bad "Evil"), Unhealthy
• Optimal Well-Being: Exceptional personalities, heights of genius, social intelligence, self-actualization, success, sense of meaning, purpose, kindness, gratitude, resilience, grit, empathy, and compassion

Personality Disorders

• Crash Course Video Psychology #34: Available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4E1JiDFxFGk

Chapter 1: Who Am I?

• Personality Psychology: Scientific study of what makes people who they are and the environmental and genetic factors
• What is personality?
• What determines personality?
• Is our personality inherited or developed over time?

Nature vs Nurture

• Nature: genetics (genotypes)
• Nurture: environment
• Free Will
• Phenotype: The outcome of nature and nurture interaction
• "Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid" - Albert Einstein
• Brains on Trial (2013): Video available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cx8xEUYrb74

Chapter Objectives

• Define personality in two sentences
• List 3 examples of how social media use interacts with personality
• Describe how culture shapes personality with four examples
• Analyze what makes a measure reliable and valid
• Outline strengths/weaknesses of measurements strategies
• Impacts of race, ethnicity, gender on personality psychology
• Compare/contrast correlational & experimental designs

Personality - Dictionary Definitions

• The state of being a person
• The characteristics and qualities that form a person's distinctive character
• The sum total of all the physical, mental, emotional, and social characteristics of a person

Personality - Psychological Definition

• An enduring and unique cluster of characteristics
• Manifest in patterns of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors
• This cluster may change based on different situations
• Human change according to different situations and people

Questions About Social Media

• Are you the same person online as you are in person?

• How does social media affect personality?

• How does personality affect social media use?

Role of Race and Gender in Shaping Personality

• Personality theorists traditionally consisted of White men of European and American heritage.
• Almost all study subjects were White.
• There was a tendency to ignore the influence of class, race, and ethnic background.

Different environments expose children to vastly different influences, which can shape personality differently.

Role of Culture in Shaping Personality

• Cross-cultural psychology research shows personality is shaped by genetic and environmental (cultural) influences
• Emigrants to the U.S. become more "American" in personality
• Chinese immigrants to Canada show higher levels of extraversion
• Anxiety may be influenced by cultural difference
• Cultural neuroscience looks at possible cultural differences in brain activity and genetic makeup

Differences in Cultural Beliefs and Values

• Karma and free will
• Individualism (emphasizes individual, relationships with others, independence)
• Collectivism (emphasizes group, interdependence, communality)
• Influences: Self-efficacy, well-being
• Self-enhancement: Tendency to promote oneself aggressively and be conspicuous; more common in Western cultures
• Child rearing practices: Individualistic cultures tend to be democratic and permissive in parenting; collectivist cultures tend to be authoritarian and controlling

Individualistic vs. Collectivist Cultures

• Individualistic Culture:

  • Emphasizes Personal identity
  • Views people as unique
  • Encourages self-expression
  • Emphasizes competitiveness

• Collectivist Culture:

  • Emphasizes Social identity
  • Views people as part of a group
  • Discourages self-expression
  • Emphasizes group harmony

How Does Culture Shape Personality?

• Different cultural beliefs, individualism vs collectivism in cultures
• Levels of acceptance regarding self-enhancement
• Child-rearing practices

Measuring and Assessing Personality

• Used for diagnosis, education, counseling, and research
• Reliability: Consistency of response in a psychological assessment
• Validity: Extent to which an assessment device measures what it is intended to measure

Methods of Assessment

• Self-report measures
• Projective techniques (Rorschach Inkblot Technique, Thematic Apperception Test (TAT), word association and sentence completion)
• Clinical interviews
• Behavioral observations
• Experience sampling
• Objective versus subjective
• Quantitative versus qualitative

Self-Report Inventories

• Subjects answers questions about their behaviors and feelings
• Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)
• TIPI (10 questions related to the Big 5 personality traits)
• Advantages: Objective scoring, quick assessment, administered online
• Disadvantages: Not suited for people with limited reading skills, tendency to provide socially desirable answers

Projective Tests

• Interpretation is subjective
• Low reliability and validity when used for diagnostic purposes
• Useful for research

Research Activity

• Using smartphones, laptops, or tablets, work in groups to research online inkblot tests
• Explore different types of online inkblot tests
• Analyze how online inkblot tests differ from traditional, paper-based tests
• Discuss how taking the test online might influence results

Clinical Interviews

• Involve asking relevant questions about past and present life experiences, social and family relationships, and reasons for seeking psychological help
• Advantages: Explores problem areas in depth
• Disadvantages: Subjective

Behavioral Assessments

• Observe a person's behavior in a given situation occurring during a clinical interview
• Advantages: Provide valuable insights
• Disadvantages: Not systematic

Experience Sampling

• Participants describe social and environmental context of their experiences
• Using smartphone apps or daily diaries
• Advantages: Determines how context influences thought and mood
• Disadvantages: Participants may forget to record, emotions/mood can affect reporting

Diversity Considerations in Personality Measurement and Personality Differences

• Cultural differences in personality assessment techniques
• What is normal in one culture may be judged abnormal in another
• Potential problems with cross-cultural application

Gender in Personality Assessment

• Personality assessment is influenced by gender
• Assessment measures indicate differential rates of diagnosis based on gender
• Differences in Big Five personality traits, including agreeableness, neuroticism and conscientiousness, may be influenced by gender
• Differential rates could be related to gender bias or gender stereotyping in interpreting the results

Research in the Study of Personality

• The Clinical Method: Detailed history of an individual, advantages (in-depth view), disadvantages (no precision, subjective)
• Experimental Method (1 of 2): Determining effects of variables/events in behavior, uses independent & dependent variables, arranged by psychologists
• Experimental Method (2 of 2): Advantages (well controlled and systematic); Disadvantages (safety/ethical reasons, dependent variables influenced by subject attitude)
• Correlational Method: Measures relationship between two variables expressed by correlation coefficient (-1.00 to +1.00), helps make predictions, but cause-and-effect conclusions can be flawed
• Online Research: Online test administration-psychological tests, opinion surveys, experimental stimuli
  • Advantages: Fast responses, inexpensive, reach a broad range
  • Disadvantages: Sample may not represent population, online test takers may differ

The Role of Theory in the Study of Personality

• Theory provides a framework to describe data in a meaningful way
• Components: testable principles, stimulating research, clarifying/explaining data, organizing into coherent framework, helping to understand and predict behavior, application to help people

Questions About Human Nature: What Are We Like?

• Free will vs determinism (historical determinism)
• Inherited nature vs. nurturing environment
• Dependent vs. independent of childhood
• Unique vs universal human nature
• Staying satisfied vs seeking growth
• Optimism vs pessimism

Knowledge Check 2 and Answer

• Benefit of a theory in psychology: provides a framework for describing empirical data in meaningful ways, explaining relationships between data points, brings order to data

Summary

• Personality is a unique cluster of characteristics that adapt to different situations
• Social media provides platforms for self-expression but usage can vary
• Cultural context affects personality traits
• Reliable and valid measures are crucial for personality assessment
• Various research methods (experimental, correlational, online) have strengths and weaknesses
• Theories in psychology give frameworks for organizing and explaining personality data